The present invention relates generally to the field of electrical connectors and, more particularly, to an electrical connector having means for securing the outer conductive sheath of a cable to the connector.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,372 discloses a know electrical connector that comprises a first cone-shaped clamping jaw member having an axial passage for receipt of a coaxial cable. The clamping jaw member has a truncated conical end that tunnels concentrically under a cylindrical conductive sheath, also referred to as an outer conductor, of a coaxial cable. A second clamping jaw member is slidable over the conductive sheath. The first and second clamping jaw members are electrically conductive and clamp the conductive sheath therebetween to establish an electrical connection of the conductive sheath to the connector.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,372 discloses that the cylindrical conductive sheath of a coaxial cable may be flared outwardly or folded back in order to permit two conductive clamping jaw members to clamp the sheath therebetween. The clamping jaw members are formed with inclined wedge shapes which conform to either the flared or folded back shape of the sheath.
The conductive clamping jaw members of the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,372 are fabricated from thick metal parts having sufficient mass to withstand the clamping forces. The members are fabricated by manufacturing procedures which involve separately machining the members. Machining operations are capable of producing parts having precise dimensions and tolerances. However, the rate at which the parts are produced is slow, and the cost of their manufacture is relatively high. Machining operations, accordingly, are only suitable for producing parts in small quantities or when the need for high precision justifies a more costly manufacturing technique.
There is a large demand for electrical connectors which are capable of clamping the outer conductive sheath of a communications cable. This demand has spurred efforts to reduce the cost of such connectors, either by improving manufacturing techniques or by redesigning the connectors to eliminate the need for costly manufacturing techniques. A further reduction in cost can be realized if the connectors are designed for field application, defined as assembly of the connectors to cables at locations where the cables are installed for use. An even further cost reduction can be obtained if the connectors are capable of being assembled to cables by untrained workers without the need for special tools.
One expanding use for connectors capable of clamping the outer conductive sheath of a cable is in the field of premises wiring. Premises wiring carries voice, electronic data and/or electrical power over one or more electrical conductors and/or one or more optical fibers gathered together in a communications cable. Workstations consisting of various types of equipment situated at strategic locations in the same building or in separate buildings are linked to the cable by such connectors; and the cable, in turn, links the workstations to one another to receive or transmit communications information carried by the cable.
The cable may take various forms. For example, the cable may comprise a twisted-pair cable which is a cable containing insulated wires that are spirally twisted together in pairs. Alternatively, the cable may comprise a coaxial cable containing one or more insulated conductors surrounded by a cylindrical conductive sheath. Optical fiber cables may also contain a sheath surrounding the optical fibers within the cable to provide the cable with physical strength and to protect the fibers. Such a sheath may be electrically conductive to provide for a ground electrical potential along the sheath and along the length of the cable.
Connectors having parts fabricated from stamped and formed metal strip are significantly less costly than connectors having machined parts. An electrical connector having clamping jaws fabricated with stamped and formed metal strip and being sufficiently rugged to withstand the clamping forces applied by the jaws to the outer conductive sheath of a cable would be a highly desirable product.